Wind-shield for automobiles.



A. B. THOMAS.

WIND SHIELD FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1910.

Patented Aug, 1,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

AZmenB. Thoma/As; fa /1% @9714! A. B." THOMAS. WIND SHIELD FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1910.

Patented Aug. 1,1911.

One object of my rags AT 'ALMEB B. THOMAS. or 'HARD ICK. .vnmuion'r.

WIND-SHIELD FOB AUTOMOBILES.

Specification ofIetters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911."

Applicationfiled February 26, 1910. Serial No. 546,254.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALMER B. THOMAS,

'citizen of the United States, residing at Hardwick, Vermont, have invented certain new a'ndfuseful Improvements in Vind- -Shi elds for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for the protection of persons riding on the front seat of an automobile, and especially the driver. v I invention is to dispense with the use of'the ordinary plate glass wind shield, and also of thecelluloid front curtain which is'now used to protect the driver or occupants of the front seat.

One objection to the use of the present wind shield as made of glass is that-it is heavy and cumbersome, and the vision of the driver is obstructed particularly when {the glass is coated with rain, sleet or snow.

A like objection exists against the use of the celluloid front.

I aim to provide a shield or protector which will not obstruct the vision of the driver, and yet will aiford the necessary protection against the wind and weather.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings (-Figure 1 is a side View of so much of an automo bile body as isneoessary to a clear under standingof my invention; my improvement being shown in connection therewith; Fig. 2 is a detail side view of a portion of myinvention; Fig. 3 is a detail rear View; Figs. 4; and 5 are views of a supporting bracket; Fig. 6 is a View of a modified form of support; Figs. 7 and 8 are views of a further modification; Fig. 9 is a sectional detail.

In these drawings, 1 indicates a portion of an automobile body of any known type and lies in a plane slightly above the upper edgb of the said steering wheel so that the sheet material of the protector curves from side to sidev at its upper edge substantially concentric with the wheel 8, and its depending sides reach far enough down to afford protection to the body and legs and feet ofthe driver or occupant of the front seat. These depending sides may be. attached to the seat frame-of the automobile by straps as at9, which may be suitably attached to the rear corners of the depending sides of the boot or protector, and having their freeends attached by a suitablebutton at. 10 to the seat frame. Tteboot or protector is preferably attached to the curved supporting bar .5 by buttons of the snap variety, though I do not limit myself in this respect. The clamp or collar 7 may be of any suitable form, and as a representative form I show in Figs. 4 and 5 a clamp made of two. sections 11 and 12 adapted to fit about the steering post and held thereon by a screw at 13 passing from one section into the other,

and a clamping bolt at 14. The member 12 of the clamp or collar has a curved .groove 15 formed therein which receives the lower curved end 16 of the standard or support 6,

and a thumb screw 17 passes through one side of the clamp and engages this curved end of the standard to hold the same in any position to which it may be adjusted.

As shown in Fig. 1, the depending sides of the boot may reach only part way down the side openings at the front of the automobile, or as shown by the dotted lines at 18, I mayprovide extension flaps, one for each side of the boot or protector, which are secured to the depending edges by any suit-: able fastening devices such as snap buttons}:

indicated generally at 19. By these extensions the side openings are entirely closed. and the driver or occupant of the seat will be completely protected as to his body, feet and legs, both from the'front and from the side of the machine. The boot reaches high enough and far enough to the rear to fully protect the hands of the operator in manipulating the wheel, and it will be observed that while full protection is afforded for the body and the lower extremities and the hands 01' the operator, his vision will not be obstructed.

W hen it is not desired to use the shield 01- protector, the boot may be detached at and suitablypacked atth dashbo 1 ing held by any suitable straps indica generally at 20; In" so packing'thebootbar 5, and it may then be rolled f or: protector, the cross bar 5' maybe remoyedfrom the standard 6, and rolled with-- in the material ofthe boot or protector,"

While the; standard or arm 6 and bar 5 ma 1 be similarly disposed of, or they may be le t in connection with the clamp or collar," and simply folded down intothe position indicated'. in Fig. 2 inzdotted lines, for which" purpose it is only necessary to loosen the set screw 17 and turn the curved end of the supporting arm in the'curved slot '15. The cross-i bar 5;is held to the standard or arm 6 by asetscrew 21, rendering it easy to remove the cross bar. when desired. The shield or boot may-be stiifened along its top edge by means of a vfold or hemof suitable width,

with-some "suitable stiffening material as leather within this hem, so that it will' retain the curved form of the cross arm 5 beyondithe ends of said arm, thus making the boot at-the rear of suflicient width for the occupantf or' occupants of the front seat.

The main portion'of the boot or shield may be made of-heavy leather, and may, if preferr'ed, be lined with cloth, while. the side flaps orjdetachableportions may be formed .of lightermaterial adapted to be buttoned or, otherwise; secured to the main portion. Themain-portion of the boot is of such bent: foot 23 of the support, and. in the use width that it canbe rolled down onto the the side-lamps..

described mainly in the means for attaching the said support to-the clamp, consisting in this caseof a thumb screw' 22 engaging the of a brace 24. The clamp-is also of slightly difierent form from that first described.

' In Figs. 7 and 8 I show a further modification of the support for the upper curved cross bar, and also a modification of the clamp. The support in this case consists of a';.bar 25 pivoted at.26 to the clamp 27 held by the bolts 28 onto the steering post,

pivoted at 30-to the clamp and-carrying a'collar 31 which may be set on the main support 25 by a thumb screw 32. -This construction also ermits the adjustment of the support to I claim as my invention v1. In combination with a steering post and dash, a protector secured to the dash at. its front end, and a support for the rear upper end of the rotectorywith means for detachably securmg the said support to the steering post, an means for folding the. support on the post, substantially as described. I

' 2. In combination with the steering post, a clamp thereon having a curved groove therein, a 0st having a curved end to move in the sai groove, and a shield or boot held at theupper end of the support with means for holding the curved end of the support '55 ifi'erent angles.

adjustably to-the clamp, substantially as described.

3. In combination with an inclined steering post, an upwardly extending supportattached thereto, a cross arm at the up per end of said support, a sheet of material secured to said cross arm extending downwardly and forwardly and having means for'attachment to the dash, and connections between the said sheetlof material and the seat frame, said connections extending rearwardly from the sheet of material, substantially as described.

4. In combination with an inclined steering post, a wheel, a support attached to the said post and extending upwardly, a cross arm at the upper end of the said support, a

sheet of material attached thereto and extending downwardly and; forwardly, means.

for attachin .the said material .at its frontend to the toned to the lateral edges. of the said sheet of material to close theside entrances,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signaash, and sides detachably but-, 

